Article from CareerBuilder.com 

Two strangers meet at a networking function. One person speaks up first. "Hi, I'm Laura Mulford," she says, offering her hand to her partner. "Raj Babu," he responds with a handshake. "Nice to meet you." The whole exchange takes less than four seconds. Ten minutes later, neither person can remember the other's name.

Ah, names. Some people have gift for remembering them. But for far too many of us, they go in one ear and right out the other. Unfortunately, referring to everyone as "hey" or "you" can be suicide when it comes to networking.

"In networking, names are the good stuff," say Anne Barber and Lynne Waymon, co-authors of "Make Your Contacts Count" (Amacom). "It will be mighty difficult for you to initiate a relationship with someone if you don't know that person's name."

If remembering others' names is downright impossible for you, try out these tips from Barber and Waymon:

1. Repeat the first name or confirm the last name.

Simply saying, "It's nice to meet you, Chuck" or "and your last name was...?" will help you register the name and give it a better chance to implant itself into your memory.

2. Ask a question or make a comment about the person's name.

"Nice to meet you, Julia. My college roommate's name was Julia, so I'll have no problem remembering you."

3. Ask the person to spell his or her name.

"Abby, do you spell your name with a 'y' or with an 'ie'?"

4. Associate the name with a picture in your mind.

If you meet a CEO named Arthur, visualize him as King Arthur with the knights of the Round Table. "Some people like this technique; others say it confuses them," warn Barber and Waymon. "Only use it if it's helpful."

5. Ask how the person got his name.

"Savannah, were you named after the city?"

6. Tell the person what you have heard about him.

"I heard you organized this whole event, Peter."

7. Keep your energy level high.

Let your body language and tone of voice signal that you are honestly trying to learn the other person's name and teach her yours. According to Barber and Waymon, people say this is flattering.

8. Always say the person's name again as you leave her.

"It was good to meet you, Jen."

9. Handle forgotten names with grace.

No, whining about how bad you are with names is not graceful. Instead, ask a friend to remind you, or if you can recall where you met that person, say "I remember meeting you at the conference in Seattle. I'm Sarah Ansari. Will you tell me your name again?" The person may have forgotten your name too, and will be grateful for your reintroduction.

Always remember: making small talk about a person's name may take time, but it could save you embarrassment later on!

I am sure by now you have heard about or have watched "The Secret." 
How about the "power of positive thinking?"  Well, some call it "woo woo" or even a listening to a "higher power" or whatever you call it...thinking positively and acting positively in any situation can only make it better.  (Well that is what I think, anyway!)  Have you ever been around someone that is always so down on everything...nothing is good...nothing is right...blah, blah, blah?  It just drags you down.  STAY AWAY from that type of person because eventually you will begin to feel the same.  For some crazy reason the happy person who is trying to keep things upbeat and positive is the one who gets stomped down with Mr. or Ms. negativity.....SOOOO not good!   Remember when mom used to tell you...you are what you eat?  Well, it seems that you are what you think.  So choose your thoughts wisely.

Do you know how powerful your thoughts really are? Are you fully aware that these thoughts, all 50,000 per day, are singularly the most powerful influences on everything that happens to you in your life and are the reson you have attracted the people you know, the house you live in and the car you drive?

In fact the sum total of everyone's thoughts is the very thing that shapes everything that exists, everything that has existed, and everything that will ever exist. You may ask then "if this is true then shouldn't it be possible to bring into existence anything we desire?"

Well the short simple answer is YES!

It is through the power of deliberate thought that we can create. While thought alone does have the power to bring tangible (cars, houses, boats) and intangible (peace, harmony and joy) things into existence often times this is not enough!  Intention, or directed thinking and believing, is enough to create powerful enough thoughts to manifest anything we want but you must also add two other ingredients.

Firstly, your thoughts must be backed by emotion. The more powerful the emotion - the stronger the thought. It is essential to create within you the same feelings that you will have when you actually achieve your desire. You actually do this all the time only in the opposite direction. For example, you think of what you are afraid may happen and all of a sudden you feel frightened, tense and may even start to exhibit some physiological symptoms such as sweating or shaking or just get the shivers. Begin to reverse this method of thinking. Think only of what you do want and conjure up the feelings associated with that. How will it feel to meet and marry that perfect person? How will it feel behind the wheel of that new Mercedes or in the kitchen of that new home?

The second key ingredient of the three is action! It is neccessary to be prepared to take some action. This is a key point that many personal development gurus leave out! The action that you need to take will not be strenuous or a toil, it will be enjoyable and feel right to you.

Each of us here on the planet plays their own special role in the complete operation of the Universe. We are all One, interconnected and interdependent. Your desires will almost always come through some form of action and through connection to other people.

Your thoughts do have the power to completely change your life and circumstances. When thoughts are backed by emotion they become an unstoppable force that will carry you to wherever you want to go in life. But you must be willing to take the steps towards your desires when these steps are presented to you.

For example thinking and believing you will meet your soul mate will bring you vast opportunities for meeting him/her but you never will if you sit at home all day and do not venture outside! You may find that you begin to get asked to go to places more often or get invited to a place you have never been before. You may even accidently meet old friends or develop new friendships. This is the Universe setting you on a path to your desires. Take that invitation. Even if it is something you have no desire to do or somewhere you do not want to go, you should accept the invitation. Who knows who you may meet or where you may end up! So remember:

Ingredient 1 - thoughts have power.

Ingredient 2 - thoughts backed by strong emotion and belief can change the very Universe and create ANYTHING you want.

Ingredient 3 - action is the last key ingredient to bringing about your desires and living the life of your dreams.
 
Now get out there and start to CREATE! 

Each of us here on the planet plays their own special role in the complete operation of the Universe. We are all One, interconnected and interdependent. Your desires will almost always come through some form of action and through connection to other people.

Your thoughts do have the power to completely change your life and circumstances. When thoughts are backed by emotion they become an unstoppable force that will carry you to wherever you want to go in life. But you must be willing to take the steps towards your desires when these steps are presented to you.

For example thinking and believing you will meet your soul mate will bring you vast opportunities for meeting him/her but you never will if you sit at home all day and do not venture outside! You may find that you begin to get asked to go to places more often or get invited to a place you have never been before. You may even accidently meet old friends or develop new friendships. This is the Universe setting you on a path to your desires. Take that invitation. Even if it is something you have no desire to do or somewhere you do not want to go, you should accept the invitation. Who knows who you may meet or where you may end up! So remember:

Ingredient 1 - thoughts have power.

Ingredient 2 - thoughts backed by strong emotion and belief can change the very Universe and create ANYTHING you want.

Ingredient 3 - action is the last key ingredient to bringing about your desires and living the life of your dreams.
 
Now get out there and start to CREATE!